The Best Hero in the World
by asianchibi99
Summary: On the last day of school. Only hours shy of winter break. Two weeks from Christmas. 28 lives gone. 'Because Mr. Hiyama saved my life with his.'


**Dedication to those affected in the Connecticut, Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.**

* * *

School was fun.

I mean, sometimes it would be really boring and I hate it when the teachers get mean, but it's really fun to play with my friends too, so it was alright. My teacher, Mr. Hiyama, always let us do fun things out at recess, he brought jump-ropes, balls, and sand toys that only our class could play with. He was really tall and wore glasses, he looked scary and mean at first, but he was really nice and fun to talk to. Mr. Hiyama told a lot of funny jokes during class and everyone liked him because he was so nice and even the older graders came in sometimes to talk to him. He was the best teacher in the world, the whole universe even! No one could be a better teacher than Mr. Hiyama. I know that! It's the truth!

Because Mr. Hiyama saved my life with his.

I don't like talking about it… Not at all. But I don't want to look like I'm lying, and I want everyone to know how great Mr. Hiyama was. I want him to be in the history books as a hero like Superman or George Washington! With his face on the cover of newspapers and a holiday for him maybe! He was that brave, braver than any superhero was, believe me! If you knew him, you would know. Because on Friday, he was a real hero.

It was after first recess and we were learning math. This was Mr. Hiyama's favorite subject because he always made the funniest jokes and was always smiling when we added numbers. We were learning about adding big numbers, like hundreds and thousands, I was the best at this because my mommy taught me about it at home already. Mr. Hiyama smiled at me a lot and told me I was a mathe-mathematician, which meant someone who was really, really good at math. He patted my hair, he liked to mess with my hair all the time but I didn't mind because he always fixes it afterwards, and went to go help with the girl next to me because she kept adding wrong.

Then, a boy got a paper cut and started bleeding. He was crying and trying to suck on his finger like a baby when Mr. Hiyama walked to the door and got a band-aide. Mr. Hiyama was really good at making people happy, the boy stopped crying right away and was smiling again because he had a Spiderman picture on his band-aide. Mr. Hiyama called him brave and strong and told him that he didn't need to cry over a small cut.

Then, Mr. Hiyama went back to his desk to work on the board, using his brown marker that smelled like coffee. Gachapoid, my best friend, started talking to me. He said that his family was going to his grandma's for Christmas and that he already knew what he was going to get for Christmas. He said loudly that he was getting a new scooter and new shoes that looked like the shoes the older graders wore. I was going to tell him about the new backpack my auntie was getting for me when I heard a really loud BANG.

The classroom was quiet really quick, everyone heard it and was surprised. Some people laughed at it after a while, but when I looked at Mr. Hiyama he looked really scared. He didn't move for a long time, and the class was laughing loudly now, Gachapoid tried to make the Bang sound with hand on the table, but it wasn't as loud. There was another loud BANG. Then again. And again. Three times in a row, BANG BANG BANG.

The class was getting louder now, and then Mr. Hiyama did something really scary. He started yelling at us.

"BE QUIET." He shouted loudly, his face was really weird and red. Everyone shut their mouths immediately. Mr. Hiyama never yelled at us like that before, and I was starting to feel a little scared. When it was silent, he finally talked. "Class, please keep your mouths closed and sealed, okay?"

We all nodded, locking our lips in the same motion as him and threw away the key. Mr. Hiyama told us in a library whisper that we have to move away from the door and go to the back of the room where our computers where. Quietly, like mice, Gachapoid and I followed everyone to the computer, some of the faster ones got to sit in a chair, and there was a small fight on who could sit down.

"Shhh." Mr. Hiyama hushed, "Please class, _silence_."

Then we heard more shouting.

"Guys!" It was our cleaner guy, Mr. Shion, I know his voice because he always liked to talk about ice cream. He was really funny too. "Get down! Hide!"

BANG

Mr. Hiyama started to shake, it was weird, because he usually stood really tall with his head high, but now he was hunched forwards. He had a finger on his lips to show that we couldn't talk at all.

BANG BANG BANG

He opened our huge closet with very slow movements. Our class closet was called the Glue Closet by Mr. Hiyama because he there was only glue inside, but it was a really big closet, bigger than the one I have at home and there was a lot of room inside too.

"Class, everyone get inside of the Glue Closet." He told us in a library whisper, "Hurry."

"By why?" I said, in a library whisper too. I saw him look at the door quickly.

"I will tell you later." He promised. "Everyone, come in, make room for each other. Everyone must fit, ok?"

It was really stuffy in there and it smelled like glue. It was weird too because I felt people trying to push me into the wall, but I wouldn't say anything because everyone had to fit like Mr. Hiyama told us. Even through everyone, I could see Mr. Hiyama's face. His eyes were wide and moving a lot, and his body was still shaking. He smiled at us.

"You're all good kids." He said, "I'm going to close the door, and it will get dark so hug each other and protect each other, alright? Don't make a single sound, and try not to move. Do not open the door until I-" He stopped, and suddenly he looked sad. "Do not open the door at all for anyone. Just please keep quiet, very, very, very quiet, class. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mr. Hiyama." We all said in a tiny library voice. He smiled again.

"I'm going to close the door now."

It got really dark and I couldn't see anything at all. But I could feel someone holding my hand really tightly and someone else hugging my shoulders. I wanted to ask who they were, but I knew I would get Mr. Hiyama mad so I didn't say anything at all.

BANG BANG BANG

It was really loud now, and it sounded like someone trying to kick the door. Some people squeaked in the closet, but it was really quiet after that. I felt the hands get tighter on my fingers.

"I'm guessing class is out for recess?" There was a voice I didn't know, it was deep and like a rock. It was not a nice person. "Or is it that class at the library?"

"What is wrong with you?" Mr. Hiyama asked, it sounded like he was still shaking. "This is an _elementary _school, and you come here with-"

"Oh shut up."

BANG. BANG.

It rang in my ears and left me feeling weird. Some kids in the front pushed back, squishing me flat against the wall. The weird man didn't talk anymore and neither did Mr. Hiyama. But there was another weird noise. Kind of like squeaking, but it was like someone huffing for breath too. I heard a voice making a loud groan, like my mommy when she lays down to sleep, before it was really silent. No one wanted to talk anymore.

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG.

My leg was getting tired so I sat on the floor, the person holding my hand let go and the one holding my shoulders sat down with me, hugging me like crazy. It was still really dark, like at night time, but on the ground I could see a gold line from the door. I was waiting for Mr. Hiyama to open the door again with a great big smile on his face, telling us that it was a small game or telling us a joke about the dark, but it didn't happen. We all waited for a long time, it felt like hours and days, and it was so very quiet, we could have heard crickets chirping. The air was really hot now, and it was hard to breathe in the Glue Closet, but no one would open the door because no one was supposed to, except for Mr. Hiyama. But Mr. Hiyama didn't do it.

After a long, long time, we heard loud feet from outside. They were getting closer and we all became frozen, knowing we weren't supposed to move.

"Another.." It was a different man, but his voice sounded nicer than the other one. "Another teacher.. That makes six, doesn't it? But… the students.."

I waited to hear Mr. Hiyama talk to this man too, I waited to hear his voice call for us to come out and say hello to the guest, but I didn't hear anything from him at all. I wished I was closer to the door, so that I could peek outside and see what was happening. But I couldn't move, there was too many people around me.

There was a very loud crash suddenly, and someone screamed. It was all very scary and my heart felt like it was going to explode! We all shushed the person to keep quiet. Mr. Hiyama was going to get mad at us, that's what I thought, because we couldn't do it right.

Soon after that, the door was yanked right open and I was feeling scared. I thought it was Mr. Hiyama with a frown on his face and an angry voice, but it was some else and he was looking very happy. This man was shorter than Mr. Hiyama, his eyes darker and body was bigger. He wore a police uniform with a bright badge on his chest. He looked at us, all stuck in the Glue Closet.

"Oh thank- You're all okay! Thank goodness, thank goodness." He said. We didn't move, not an inch forwards. "Straight line, we're leaving here."

No one moved at all.

"Mr. Hiyama told us to open the door for no one." Gachapoid said, looking up at the officer.

The policeman's smile suddenly disappeared. He looked behind him and then at us again, a sad look on his face.

"Don't worry." He said, "Let's get out of here first."

"But Mr. Hiyama said-"

"I'll protect you all." He said, looking at Gachapoid. "Don't worry, I'm a police officer."

We all looked at each other, wondering if it was alright for us to go with him. Then the ones in the front followed him out, lining in a single file line.

I wasn't even close to the door yet when there was a loud shout for someone.

"Mr. Hiyama!"

Everyone outside of the Glue Closet was shouting now, all looking at something I couldn't see.

"Don't look! Kids, don't look that way! Come on, don't look!" The police officer shouted from outside. But they were still screaming, very loudly, and when I finally got to go out, I knew why.

Mr. Hiyama was lying down on the ground, looking like he fell asleep suddenly. His glasses was off of his face and lying right to next to him. At first, I thought he was sleeping, but then I saw that a lot of red was coming from his lips.

Red, like the blood from the boy's paper cut.

I ran straight to Mr. Hiyama, not listening to the police officer. Up close, I could see the blood like a river going down his lips and into the carpet. But it was worse at his chest. The red was even darker there and the carpet was squishy and wet. He smelled like the metal rails outside and I could see two very dark circles in his shirt. It was like a red flower was painted there.

"Mr. Hiyama?" I pushed his shoulder for him to wake up. "Mr. Hiyama?"

I pushed even harder, but he wasn't moving at all. It looked like he was sleeping, but his eyes were still open, looking at me. I pushed harder.

"Mr. Hiyama? Mr. Hiyama!?" I screamed at him, and then I felt someone trying to pick me up. "Wait!" I shouted, "Wait! Wait! Mr. Hiyamaa! Mr. Hiyama! Wake up!"

"Shhhh." The police officer said, patting my hair. I fought him the best I could. "Sssshhh, you brave girl, calm down. Sshh."

"Mr. Hiyama!"

All the way outside of school, the police officer carried me to where a lot of cars and adults were watching. I felt myself starting to cry.

"Yuki? Yuki! YUKI!" My mommy ran towards us, and I sniffed, hugging her closely. The police officer let go and I was being carried by my mommy.

"Mr. Hiyama." I told her, I wanted to tell her how important it was to go look for him, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. "Mr. Hiyama!"

She looked at me with confused eyes, then looked at my hands.

"Y-your hands! O-oh God.. Yuki, are you hurt? Are you ok? Where is it-"

"Ma'am." The police officer spoke. "Nothing is wrong with your child. That isn't her wound."

"Mr. Hiyama!" I cried, hugging my mother tightly, feeling scared and lost.

"You see.. It seems that your child's teacher, Mr. Kiyoteru Hiyama. Died protecting the entire class today. He was a hero."

I cried a lot and loudly, I wanted everyone to know how much I was scared and how much my chest hurt. I couldn't say anything though and I kept having tears.

I don't like thinking about this. I really miss Mr. Hiyama, he was the best teacher in the world. I know others were like him, our Principal, and Mr. Shion, and my mommy says I'll never see them again. I'm sad, I want to cry again, but Mr. Hiyama wouldn't like that. He said I was a mathematician, and I know they aren't supposed to cry.

* * *

**Eight adults who died protecting children from bullets. Without their brave actions, many more lives would have been reaped that day. **

**For the past days, I've been brooding on this, scared for myself and ashamed because I know for a fact that I could never be as brave as those eight lives. What amazing things they could have done with their bravery, only to be killed right before a child's eye.**

**Tragedy in it's most Tragic form.**

**Mush Luvve and a hope that this never happens again.**

**~asianchibi**


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